The Arequipa coat of arms is the symbolic coat of arms of the city of Arequipa (Peru), issued by King Carlos I of Spain on October 7, 1541. Together with the anthem and the Arequipa banner, they make up the three national symbols of the city.
During the colonial era, few were the cities that were prestigious with shields by the Spanish Crown.
Alonso Ruiz communicates to Carlos V that the Villa Hermosa region is growing by leaps and bounds, increasing its population and therefore increasing its economic power, for which he considers it necessary to be awarded the category of "City".
On September 22, 1541, this classification was granted by Royal Decree.
Ruiz, the representative personality of the Council, Justice and Regiment, as well as knights, officers, squires and men of the city of Arequipa, requests the Spanish Crown for the "Coat of Arms", a request that is fulfilled on October 7, 1541.
From that moment, the city embodies its coat of arms on its flag, seals and banners.
Arequipa was the victim of civil wars. The members of the city decided to ally themselves with the Spanish royalty in order to be protected.
That meant donating their treasures and jewels to the Crown as an offering for the war against the Ottoman Empire.
This offering caused that on November 7, 1541 (an exact month after the awarding of the coat of arms), in the name of Felipe II, the city of Arequipa was awarded the title of "Very Noble and Very Loyal."
Two hundred and fifty years later, King Carlos IV, by means of a Royal Certificate in San Lorenzo, grants him the title of "Most Loyal." The treatment of "Excellence" to its Cabildo was agreed in Madrid on November 16, 1818.
Description and meaning of its elements
The shield has as its central emblem the Misti volcano, under which the city of Arequipa lies. The trees next to the volcano and the river (Río Chilli) represent the rural landscape of the region. The golden lions bravery and the warrior spirit.
The color blue represents beauty, sweetness, and loyalty. The eight lily flowers symbolize nobility and purity.
At the tip of the shield there is a griffin that raises a banner with the inscription "Carlos" or "Karolus", referring to the Spanish king who awarded the symbol. Beneath the mythological creature is a noble helmet.
The noble helmet is always closed, due to its new nobility and must always be oriented to the right.
There are discrepancies regarding some aspects of the shield. The flag that holds the tap is sometimes colored red, other times blue, and rarely is it yellow.
However, if the design of the Ducal Archive of Alba is faithful, the flag must have three stripes: the upper and lower in red and the one in the center, which occupies three-quarters of the width of the area, must be green.
References
- Medina Málaga, Alejandro (1989). Hispanic sunrise of Arequipa. BIRAS. 16. 105-114.
- Arequipa Coat of Arms. (sf). Retrieved on October 2, 2017, from Linda Arequipa.
- Civic Heraldry of Peru. (sf). Retrieved on October 2, 2017, from New Generation Logistic.
- Arequipa Coat of Arms. (sf). Retrieved on October 2, 2017, from Wikipedia.
- Quintanilla Paulet (1995). The Coat of Arms of Arequipa found in the Ducal Archive of Alba. IMPRESA workshops.